I'm not crazy, I haven't gone temporarily insane, I have not been committed, and I am not on drugs! There's nothing wrong with me, I just enjoy working with teens. However, it's easy to see why people think I've gone a bit peculiar. Working with Smart Girls has really made me look back on my teenage years and think about my life as compared to the girls I'm helping today. And the teens today have so much more to face in their day to day lives than I did seven years ago.
Firstly, kids are being exposed to the media world at a much younger age. Newborns are being put in front of the television so Mom can get a moment (Barta, 2009). In 2006 the average age of the first internet exposure was eleven and in 2009 it went down to five (Barta, 2009). Now "the largest consumer of internet porn is 12 to 17 year-olds" (Barta, 2009). Music, movies, television shows, iPods, and iPhones, are making it easier for this age group to burst their innocents bubble. And also, a commercial is 60 seconds long and a television show goes to commercial every 10-12 minutes - this is the leading cause of teens' shrinking attention spans. The average adolescent's attention span is 11 minutes (Barta, 2009). Now take that attention span and try to teach it math.
Also, their work load has grown. Teens are expected to be miniature grown-ups instead of just enjoying their youth. 80 percent of teens have a job and are working before they graduate high school and are working a minimum of 20 hours a week (Barta, 2009). For example a high school student is at school from 7:30 AM to about 2:30 PM - that's approximately seven hours a day - which is roughly 35 hours a week, then add their work load. 80 percent of teens have a 55 hour work week and that's not including the time spend doing homework. Is it a wonder why they don't want to get out of bed in the morning? In middle schools and elementary schools school boards are debating whether or not to get rid of recess and making school start earlier and get out later (Barta, 2009).
Along with media and work teens are also faced with hardships within their social spheres. It is common knowledge that teens have issues with their peers over drugs, alcohol, sex, and for girls eating disorder, and a common stereotype that teens don't get along with their parents. The family sphere is actually more important in a teen's development than that with their peers (Barta, 2009). Family time is very important for teens, but because of media quality family time has almost disappeared. Adolescents in America spend an average of four hours a week playing outside, spending time with family, and socializing, whereas adolescents in Europe spend an average of five hours per day with their families, playing outdoors, and generally socializing (Barta, 2009). Also the rate of teens growing up in a divorced family is rising. "1/3 of first marriages end in divorce" (Barta, 2009). And the difference between genders and divorce is staggering. Girls are more likely to sleep around and boys are 1/3rd more likely to get a sex change if they grow up without a father figure present (Barta, 2009).
There are several stereotypes surrounding teens and those who work with them. I personally get irked when someone says to me, "Why work with teens? They're beyond help." They are never beyond help despite all the statistics out there because they are just that - statistics. It's really about having the patience and being humble enough to remember you were once in their shoes and NO ONE is perfect. So when people tell me I'm crazy, I've gone temporarily insane, I need to be committed, or that I am on drugs I just smile and say, "Someone's gotta do it, and it might as well be someone who cares about them and their drama."
Barta, M. (Director) (2009, August 19 - 2009, November 30). Adolescent Psychology. Lecture conducted from Metropolitan State College of Denver, Denver.
No comments:
Post a Comment